Flash memories provide non-volatile, solid state data storage. NAND flash memories, in particular, provide relatively high storage densities making them suitable for a variety of applications including critical applications such as space applications. The NAND flash memories are generally accessed using commands, such as, for example read, write and erase commands, which operate on blocks or regions of the memory. An interface is typically employed, between the flash memory and an external controller, for example a bus, through which the various access commands may be conveyed. The time required for completion of such operations may vary significantly. For example, read operations may take tens of microseconds, write operations may take hundreds of microseconds and erase operations may take several milliseconds. The interface may present a congestion point (e.g., bus contention) between the flash memory and the external controller, and access inefficiencies may result from delays associated with waiting for the completion of access operations. What is needed, therefore, are improved methods and systems for access to flash memory devices.